(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the provision of a visible warning and particularly to the generation of a flashing light. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel reflector for emergency oscillating or rotating lights and to a warning light assembly employing the reflector. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The use of rotating or oscillating lights for identifying emergency vehicles and the like is well known in the art. Prior art rotating and oscillating light assemblies take on may different configurations. A widely used configuration of prior are emergency lights is an assembly with two incandescent lamps and their associated reflectors being mounted back-to-back. This configuration assures that light will be visible from both ends of an emergency vehicle on which the light is mounted as the assembly oscillates.
The above briefly described prior art emergency oscillating or rotating light assembly has numerous disadvantages. The mounting of two reflectors back-to-back requires a comparatively large space in order to allow the full rotation of the entire assembly. The requirement for lamps and associated reflectors increases the overall manufacturing costs of the final assembly. Furthermore, the overall energy consumption of the light assembly is increased by the need to supply power to two separate lamps and to rotate or oscillate a comparatively large assembly.